What were their first impressions of each other? How did James manage to make Lily hate him, then love him when they were seventeen? My take on how it went down.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with Harry Potter, except the seven copies I bought and constantly read.
Pranking time! And some of you failed to notice that Remus, is suffering from the full moon! Details...
"What do you want to do?" Sirius whispered, following James out of the dormitory.
"I dunno... Let's do something to the girls!"
"You sure Lily won't mind?" Sirius grinned evilly.
James felt himself go red.
"I'm just kiddin mate. Let's go..."
The two boys approached the girls staircase and started to climb.
"Wait, do you feel that?"
"What?"
A small rumble passed underneath the stairs and they turned into a slide.
"Ahh!" They shouted as they slipped down the tube.
"What's going on?" Tired voices asked, and footsteps revealed that people had woken up.
"Uh-oh..."
"Hey! Who tried to come up?" A girls voice called out through the open door and Sirius and James dove behind an armchair.
"What's the matter Katie?"
"Some blokes tried to get up here..."
"Eh, just forget em. Let's go back to sleep..."
The door closed again and the common room was silent again.
"That was a close one!"
"You're telling me! Why did you suggest that?"
"Me?! No way it was all you!"
"Nu-uh-"
"Wait!"
"What?"
"Do you hear that?" Sirius asked again and looked to one of the windows.
"What?"
"Listen. It sounds... Like a wolf."
"Oo! Let's go see!" James said eagerly and they scurried to their feet and ran to the window.
"That's a funny looking tree. Isn't?" James said, pointing to a tree with long gnarled branches, that seemed to be moving.
"Wonder how long it's been there?" Sirius asked.
James shrugged. "The howling seems to be coming from there...."
"Boys!?" A voice said and the two jumped.
"Professor!" Sirius gasped, looking up at Professor McGonagall.
"Boys, what are you two doing awake?"
"Um-"
"We-"
"You see-"
"Tomorrow is your first day of classes. Wouldn't want to be late, would we?"
"No Professor."
"Alright then. And I must inform you, because perhaps you were not paying attention at dinner. Do not go near the Womping Willow."
"The what?" They asked in unison.
"The Womping Willow." She said calmly, and pointed out the window to the tree, whose branches shook menacingly. "There are great dangers for anyone who approaches it. Those branches can certainly poke out an eye!"
"Then why is it on the school grounds Professor?"
Professor McGonagall sighed. "Dumbledore has his reasons, and his likes. Now I suggest you two go to bed!" She said pointing to the boys dorms.
"Yes Professor..." Sirius sighed and trudged up the stairs, James started following him.
"Professor?" He asked, turning back.
"Yes, Mister Potter?"
"How long has that tree been here?"
Professor McGonagall smiled and looked at the grandfather clock in the corner.
"Approximately 48 hours, I must say. Dumbledore came upon it during the summer... Quite an odd tree, isn't it?"
James nodded.
"Do not go near it Mister Potter. You have been warned." She said and turned and left the room.
James watched her go, wondering what could possibly be so dangerous other than the fact that it moved.
When he got back into his dorm, Sirius was already lying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling.
"So much for pranking the girls..." He said to James, who nodded and got into his own bed.
"You know what we need mate?"
"What?"
"Something... That'll keep us invisible. And something that'll help us not get caught. Some sort of... Cloak."
James grinned. He knew exactly where to get 'some sort of cloak.'
He drifted into a comfortable sleep, his dreams full of Lily, the Womping Willow, and Hogwarts.
---
The morning rays of sunshine shone through the glass windows, and poked James in the eyes.
He opened his eyes, sat up and stretched.
He glanced at his watch and groaned. Classes start in an hour.
"Sirius! Oi! Peter! Get up!" He said, throwing pillows at both their beds.
"Wasmatter?" Sirius mumbled, turning over in his bed.
"IT'S MORNING!!" Peter exclaimed and jumped out of his bed and ran around the room. "IT'S OUT FIRST DAY AT HOGWARTS!!!!!!!" He sang and jumped on Sirius' bed.
"Oi! Get off!" Sirius said, kicking Peter, who lunged for James' bed instead.
"Pete! You physco!" James laughed and watched Pete dance around.
"What the bloody hell is goin on!?" Frank Longbottom had woken up, and he was not at all happy.
"FRANK!!" Pete cried and jumped on his bed next.
"GET THIS HOMO FREAK OFF OF ME!" Frank bellowed.
James and Sirius groaned and left the comforts of their own beds and went to pull Pete off of Frank.
"Yeah and keep him off! Merlin! Classes start in an hour!" He said and dashed into the bathroom.
Sirius and James looked at Frank's empty bed, at Pete - who was sitting on the floor, slightly calmer but singing - and at each other and burst out laughing.
"Oh this is going to be fun." James grinned and went to his trunk and started pulling out fresh robes.
"I wonder where this Remus fella is?" Sirius said, taking out his own clothes.
James shrugged and started pulling a comb through his sloppy hair.
"You hoping to see Lily today?" Sirius teased.
"Ooo! Who's Lily?" Peter asked, looking up from his own trunk.
"James' girlfriend." Sirius grinned and James threw his comb at him.
"Aw, you're so lucky! I don't even know anyone yet..." Pete said.
"She's not my girlfriend Pete."
"Not yet." Sirius added mischievously.
James was about to retort when a loud BANG echoed through their room and the door burst open. Three tabby cats ran in, hissing and spotted Peter.
"HOW DO THEY ALWAYS FIND ME!?" He shouted and jumped on his bed, trying to avoid the cats.
The cats owners ran in after them, Eleanor Ferachi, Lily's friend was amongst them.
"Hey! How did you get in here?" Sirius asked in disbelief.
"Climbed the stairs you dolt! Now give me back my cat!" She said and lunged after one of them.
"Ellie!" A voice called from the bottom of the stairs and James shot up.
Peter, who was now hiding beneath the bed and poking his wand at the cats, looked curiously at James.
"That's Lily!" Sirius sang.
Eleanor grabbed her cat around the stomach and turned to Sirius, petting the tabby in her arms.
"So what if it's Lily?" She asked, narrowing her eyes.
The other two cat owners, one Alice and the other a second year boy each scooped up their own cats and were about to leave when Frank emerged from the bathroom. He froze at the sight of Alice.
"Alice! H-Hi!" He grinned and tripped over Peter, who had emerged from under his bed.
"Hi Frank." She smiled warmly at him.
"Do-you-breakfast?"
Sirius and James snickered at each other and Frank blushed.
Alice nodded. "Sure." And petted her own cat.
Frank and Alice left, followed by the second year boy who instead of going down the stairs, turned and went into his own dormitory.
"What is with all these cats!" James said and walked into the bathroom.
"I know, right?" Peter squeaked and examined his new scratches.
Eleanor ignored them.
"So what if Lily's calling me?" She asked, watching Sirius, who shrugged.
"Ellie! You coming?" Lily's voice came through the open door again and the sound of things falling came from the bathroom. A second later, the door burst open and James stood their, his hair sticking on end, his robes halfway on and a nervous smile on his face.
"Yeah Lily. I'm coming!" Eleanor shouted. She threw a irritated look at the boys then left through the door.
"Sirius! Hurry up!" James said, pulling his robes on the right way.
"Alright, alright. Geez mate..."
"Pete, you alright?" James asked, noticing the deep gashes in his friends arm.
"Eh, I'll be." He said and pulled his own robes on.
"Alright I'm ready! Let's go." Sirius said, coming out of the bathroom.
"Yeah! I'm starving." James said and rushed out ahead of them.
"Yeah, and he wants to see Lily." Sirius said in an undertone and Peter smiled weakly and trod into the bathroom.
Wow, imagine a morning like that! Anyways, please review!
